Midnight Brown
by HMemma546
Summary: When Cliff agreed to help Gray in his mining expedition in Forget-Me-Not Valley, he did not expect to fall down a pitfall nor did he expect to find a room where a midnight haired princess slept. The first ever I think Cliff/Keira ON HOLD
1. Brown eyes meet Black eyes

Midnight Brown

Summary: When Cliff agreed to help Gray in his mining expedition in Forget-Me-Not Valley, he did not expect to fall down a pitfall nor did he expect to find a room where a midnight haired princess slept. The first ever (I think) Cliff/Keira

_**Hey, I was reading some Keira fics when I came up with this idea! I think it's the first ever CliffxKeira fic but if I wrong tell me in reviews (There, now you'll have to review!) Hope you enjoy the first chappie. It's kinda of HMDS, HMDSCUTE and MFOMT. Bascially Cliff visits like he does in HMDSCUTE, Jack is the Forget-Me-Not valley farmer HMDS. Claire Mineral Town's, there's some chappies in Mineral town and Cliff's eyes are brown MFOMT. If that didn't confuse you review (Another reason why you'll have to review!) Okay, now you may start reading!**_

1. Brown eyes meet Black eyes

As most of the countryside valley's residents dreamt peaceful dreams, one of the women that never slept, stepped out of her home and onto the ground. Her emerald hair, loosen out of her usual bunches, swayed around her as she walked along the quiet area surrounding the spring. She smiled a little as she passed the tree, home to the small Harvest spirits, and heard their quiet snores that only a few mortals had the gift of hearing – and as she's an immortal, heard it every night. But that wasn't her concern.

Keeping her aura quiet – her feet were silent yet many creatures could sense her aura, even humans felt it sometimes in their slumber – she followed the woodland path until it became the patters of stones and manmade. She then stopped for a moment, calming her breathing. She didn't usual stepped outside of her homeland and, although it was the same valley and she had popped up now and again around here, she had never really walked on the stone paths and to be truthful it made her nervous. However she kept her emotions minimum for she could see her aura was disturbing a little family of birds, nested in one of the trees beside her.

Tiptoeing, she crossed the small town like part of the valley to the huge building that hosted as an inn. Silently, she floated to one of the windows of the guest rooms. There in two of the beds, lay two young men, both also dreaming. One still wore his hat with the letters 'UMA' tipped a little over his eyes as he snored. Although she wished him good luck for the next day, her main interest was the boy in the opposite bed.

His long brown hair, still tied in a plait, drifted onto the bed as he lay on his stomach, his head turned to the side. His expression was a homesick frown through it had been years since he had ever been home and that was only a short visit to encounter the horrors of what happened when he left. As he slept, he breathed in and out, as if his self consciousness was telling him to do so.

Through her eyes was watching him, the woman's mind was shifted away to the mine that lay in the south-west of the valley. Deep down she went until her mind found herself on the floor she wanted. Then she tiptoed into the hidden doorway of a small room. In the middle was a bed that held a figure, also sleeping except she hadn't woken in years.

The Harvest Goddess' mind came out of the mine and she focus it back onto the brown head. Uttering a autumn sigh, she whispered under her breath so the boy would not be disturb, "I hope that the prophecy is right and it's time for the princess to wake up,"

The young man, deep in dreams as he was, sensed her aura and voice for he shifted as if sub consciously trying to hear what she was saying. However the Harvest Goddess didn't clue him in as she disparate back home. There she let herself finish her sentence as she knew this destiny she could not interfere, "I'm not sure if you are the prince but I dare say that I believe you're the one for her....Cliff Brown."

* * *

Cliff Brown slowly opened his eyes, blinking at the sun peering at him through the window. He sat up and rubbed his forehead as he tried to recall what the feeling he was having. It felt like he had just missed something important as through he had almost come to overhearing an important announcement. Guessing was the only thing he could do so he guessed that he had simply forgotten a dream that he had wanted to remember.

He glanced over at the other boy, who had just changed into his miner outfit. Remembering why he was in this unfamiliar room as he realised it wasn't their room of Mineral town, he hid a groan, "Morning Gray,"

Gray, the Mineral town blacksmith's apprentice, grunted as he usually did. He was like that, shy and offhand. Cliff was shy too but he tended to sputtered while Gray would just groan which for some reason attracted the girls. Cliff mused over the fact that Gray was going out with Claire, had Mary fancying him and most of the girls just coming of their crushes on him. Through perhaps this made Gray properly sound like a snob, Cliff knew him well from being his roommate for two years. At first they were both to shy to speak but through Cliff still sputtered; now they knew each other like the back of his hand. Through Gray hadn't said the reason why he had come to Forget-Me-Not Valley or the reason why he dragged Cliff along, Cliff knew why by a simple observant.

Gray was still struggling at becoming a blacksmith by his grandfather, Saibara, being too harsh on his work. Through Cliff supposed it was just to encourage him as Ann phrased it 'tough love', Gray felt that Saibara thought he was rubbish and pointless. So when an archaeologist that share the same name as the Mineral Town Pastor, Carter, came to the blacksmith for help on a mining expedition and Saibara of on an errand, Gray jumped to the chance of proving that he was worthy. Knowing that Claire couldn't leave the farm and Kai only came in the summer and it was only spring, Gray had turn to Cliff for the encouragement. Through Cliff wasn't a miner, he knew that Gray was nervous and so had agreed to come along.

"Come on, you need to get ready, we'll be late otherwise," Gray groaned and Cliff remembered that miners started early with a groan of his on. Getting up, he grabbed his brown top, jeans and jacket and headed into the bathroom for a quick wash and change. Ironic wasn't it, his surname was Brown and his favourite colour was brown?

When he came back, Gray was fiddling with the brim of his hat, pulling it down and up over his eyes; a sign he was nervous. Cliff offered his friend a small smile.

"You'll be fine," He murmured as he grabbed the bag and hammer that Gray had laid out for him. Gray snapped his hat up so sharply it almost came up.

"You think?" Gray asked his gruff voice unsure

"Yeah....y-your the best miner, I k-know," _Why do I always sputter? _Cliff moaned silently to himself. Use to his friend's stammers, Gray overlooked them and returned a small smile to Cliff. But after glancing at his watch it fell as nerves returned to him with vengeance.

"Okay, let's go,"

They walked through the small plaza and one of the farms. Some people although it had just turned six were already up, generally the farmers as they headed onto the fields. It was still less crowded than Mineral Town and Cliff supposed it wasn't that much of a crowded place either. It was a peaceful place, more wildlife that Cliff had ever seen from when he had started travelling for good. It wasn't quiet exactly with the noises of insects and the scampers of squirrels but it was calm and as they entered the area where the mine sat, the noises were accompanied by a beautiful waterfall. Perhaps the mining experience wouldn't be so bad (and being Cliff's first ever time, he was expected it to be bad).

The archaeologist sat on some logs besides a small tent, waiting for them. Next to him, gathering the equipment was a younger girl just the same age as the two young men. Her glasses highlighted her purple eyes and her sandy blonde curly hair bounced into a plait. She reminded Cliff a little of Mary expected with a stronger attitude.

"Morning," She said cheerily, "Are you the blacksmith that Carter ask for help on?"

Gray nodded, a little nervous, "I'm really just the apprentice. My name's Gray and this is Cliff,"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Flora."

Cliff also nodded and waved at her, not daring to say anything as he knew he would sputter. Carter smiled at him before turning to Gray.

"Thanks for coming, I need some extra hands and Jack's too busy on his farm." Carter grinned at led the three into the mines. Cliff shuddered at the sudden coldness but it went unnoticed as Carter explained he had found another tunnel and needs help on searching the mines and digging and collecting artifacts. "Seeing as Blacksmiths tend to mine more and understand that they needed to be treated with care, I thought you'll be able to help." He finished.

"I'm sure I will." Gray said determined now. Cliff smiled as his friend overcame the shyness and followed them into the tunnels as they got to work.

Cliff mainly watched Gray and fetched as they explored further away from the other two and deeper down. He was glad, he wasn't sure he could keep at hammering a rock for so long and then do another one straight after that.

"They seem nice...." Cliff murmured breaking the hammering silence as he sat on one of the rocks by the flickering lantern. Gray paused, wiping the sweat of his forehead.

"Yeah, I was kind of expecting Carter to be more like Grandfather or something. You know, a little judgemental when I admitted I was an apprentice."

"You mean you didn't when he asked?"

"Well, he didn't ask directly and he barely gave me a chance to say so. And....I was going to keep quiet...." Gray lowered his hat over his eyes and resumed hammering. Cliff fiddled with hands, feeling uncomfortable as usual.

"You know what floor we on?" Gray asked as he found another staircase. Cliff thought back, counting with his fingers.

"Um....I think more than 200 or s-something...."

"Perhaps we should head up. We've done lots after all and I have no idea how long it'll take until the last floor....that if there is a last floor."

Cliff nodded, wondering too. How long would those steps lead them down? Would they even reach the centre of the earth or would it stop then? Cliff wasn't much on facts really; he knew basics but when it came to underground and tunnelling, not much. Gray sighed and picked up the lantern as he turned back to the staircase they had come down. Cliff hopped down and was about to follow....when his foot landed on a pitfall, tripping up and sending him down below with a shriek.

"CLIFF!" Gray shouted as his friend disappeared but before Cliff could try to stop his fall or something, the floor met him, knocking him out.

* * *

As consciousness drew back to him, Cliff sat up, a painful moan escaping his lips. Everything was pitch black; Gray had left the level Cliff had fallen from and taken the lantern with him. Cliff groaned again as he squinted in the dark.

Scratching his head, Cliff realise a massive bump had grown on it making his mind struggle to work. _Oh great, that's all I need._

A light.

Cliff glanced around; he had sworn he just saw a flicker of light. Rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating he focused on his left and saw it again. Just hidden by some rocks that he could easily shift were some flickering lights.

Like a bee drawn to nectar, Cliff mindlessly pulled the rocks out of the way and found a hidden doorway behind them. He hurried into the room to the lights. And stopped.

It wasn't because of the fact that candles were _hovering _around the room. It wasn't because there was a _bed _standing in the middle of the room. He stopped because of the bed's occupier.

Deep in a slumber, a beautiful woman laid there, radiant ebony hair spread around her, touching the floor and circling her face like a dark halo. A blue headband circled her forehead like a tiara. Her skin was an ivory white and she slept peacefully. For a moment Cliff thought she was a dead angel, died in her slumber but soon noticed the steady rise and fall of her stomach hidden under the blanket. Curiosity getting the better of him, he edge forward until he was standing by the bed. Not sure if he could wake her, he tried tapping her shoulder, through as soon as he did, he scolded himself as when did a light tap wake someone up?

But, despite that, her eyelids fluttered and opened. Cliff stared at her and she stared back.

And that was when brown eyes met black eyes.

* * *

_**So, was it okay? Am I starting to pipe interest for Cliff/;Keira? Was it rubbish? Now you have to answer these questions so press that button that has now turn to blue ink with a speech bubble besides it. The blue ink says Review story so you must! Otherwise you'll.....well nothing happens but PRESS IT ANYWAY!**_

_**Please? *Puppy-dog eyes whimpering* Pretty please?**_


	2. Forever Four

Midnight Brown

_**Yay, I got a review, I got a review! Out of 8 hits I got one review!  
........OY, Why didn't the rest of you review! Was it that bad? :(  
Anyway, duh dah, I have updated! This chappie is about Cliff's friends, blah blah. For a while this story will be Keira and Cliff's friendship turning to love but soon....WHAM! Destiny hits! So please review otherwise the destiny will become unfullfilled.**_

2. Forever Four

Wobbling a few paces back, Cliff was unable to take his eyes of the just awoken beauty. She too stared at him as she got up and stretched. Her outfit was a beautiful yellow dress, embodied with blue rims. What made Cliff stare the most was her eyes, black as cold ebony yet filled with warmth. When he noticed the curiosity in them, he realised he was staring too much and looked down, blushing as usual.

"Um....h-hi,"

The girl simply stared and then reached for the board that stood on the bed stand. Pulling out a chalk and what looked like a blackboard rubber teachers in the olden days used, she wrote something down and showed him it.

"_My name is Keira,_"

"Um....c-couldn't you...um, just say it?"

She shook her head, rubbed out the chalk, wrote again and handed it back. "_I can't speak_"

Cliff nodded, having no idea what to say. Taking the chalk, he wrote something as well, "_My name is Cliff. I sputter too much when I talk"_

Keira laughed, silently but it warm the air around them as much as if she was laughing aloud. Cliff smiled and noticed how skinny she was. Remembering the back pack he had – he supposed that was why he hadn't broken his back when he fell – he took it of and brought out the lunch that Gray had packed for him, "Y-You must be hungry,"

Smiling, Keira daintily snatched the box out of his hands and started eating. She offered Cliff half of it which he was more than happy to eat. They both sat on the bed, silently eating while trying not to seem like they were staring at each other.

As Cliff finish, Keira passed the board to him again, "_I have something to give to you in thanks of waking me up_"

"How long were you asleep for?"

"_Don't know but for a very long time,_"

With a smile, Keira searched under her bed until she found what she was looking for. Cliff stared at the object in her hand. Wrapped in a fine red coat, glistening a faint, brilliant light was a sword.

"_It'll help you on your way up. It smashes boulders that are impossible to smash and lights the way in the dark."_

Cliff wasn't sure that she was giving the sword to the right person. He could barely swing a stick let alone a sword. This was more Gray's job. But as Keira gently placed it into his hands, the weight was soft and easy hold for him and the thought of giving it away to anyone immediately fled his mind. He nodded his thanks to Keira, who grinned wider lighting the warmth in her eyes even more.

"I best be going...." Cliff murmured and the smile fell from Keira's face. Cliff got up and was about to leave when he thought of something, "I live in Mineral Town so I won't be able to visit as often as I could if I lived in the valley b-but I'll visit you when I can. T-That is, if you don't m-mind."

The smile returned and Keira nodded a yes to him visiting. Cliff smiled back, still feeling the nervous blush on his cheeks. He headed out and with the sword, found the steps leading to the top. He climbed them until he heard voices.

"Cliff! Cliff, where are you?" Gray shouted accompanied by shouts from Carter and Flora.

Cliff had no idea why he did it, but, as soon as he heard the shouts, he hid the sword into his back pack, covering the sword with its coat first. He knew that he wanted to hide it but why he didn't know. But before he could seek a reason, Gray lantern's light shone and Cliff now in the dark hurried over to it.

"Cliff, you're alright!" Gray shouted, breathing out a sigh of relief. Cliff eyebrows roused, he didn't know that Gray would be so worried about him.

"You didn't get hurt in the fall, did you?" Carter asked as he and Flora joined them.

"If you did, we can take you to Hardly's." Flora finished Carter's sentence.

"I-I'm fine. Just a bump to the head, b-but it's nothing..." Cliff tried but Gray moved the lantern closer to Cliff's head to examine the bump.

"Oh, it's _nothing_, just a big enough bump to almost cause you concussion."

Cliff shrugged in reply, hating the attention that was about to come. The three led him to the top and Gray took him to the valley's clinic after being given directions. Dr Hardly looked scary even to Gray but he seemed very nice as he checked Cliff over, who was wishing to go already. His eyes kept falling to the back pack, which had been taken of, worried about what would happen if someone found the sword. Questions and the idea of selling it. Through Cliff realised he shouldn't be so nervous over a sword, he couldn't stop being anxious and Gray noticed.

"Hey Cliff...." Gray wondered how to ask what was wrong and decided just to try and check the bag, "Did you have your lunch?"

"Yes,"

"Oh, well, it's just that I had mine, already and you don't eat much so...." Gray went over to the table to pick up the back pack when Cliff quickly tripped him up.

"S-Sorry!" Cliff stammered as he lied at being innocent. Gray now looked extremely suspicious but he didn't go for the bag again.

"Nothing seems to concerning but if something doesn't feel right, you come back or if you're headed home go straight to Dr Trent right away," Hardly said and Cliff jumped up, grabbing the bag. Gray frowned but shrugged and led Cliff outside.

"Carter and Flora have finished so we can go home. Grandfather will be happy with the ores that they let me keep." Gray chatted as they got their stuff, checked out of their room and started the long walk to Mineral Town. Cliff nodded in the right places but he wasn't really listening. He was thinking about Keira.

* * *

As soon as they entered the Mineral Town Inn, they were greeted by two girls. One had blonde hair and wore a blue overall and red check shirt. The other wore a blue jumpsuit and yellow top, with red hair tied into a plait.

"Gray!" The blonde girl, Claire, shouted as she pulled her boyfriend into a bear hug. Cliff noticed Mary frowning at her from one of the tables before he was attacked by the redhead.

"Oh, Cliff, I missed you!" She shouted in his ear as she hugged him, a little too tightly.

"Ann....can't....breathe...." Cliff gasped and Ann immediately dropped her hold, bouncing back to grin at him.

"Ann, they've only been gone for a couple of days!" Claire laughed, giving Gray a peck on the lips. Mary frowned even more and turned away but no one noticed.

"Oh, so you didn't miss me then?" Gray teased, pretending to look hurt. Claire giggled.

"Oh, no, no, I was too busy cheating on you with Kai – wait its spring so not him – um, Rick?" Gray laughed at Claire at she fumed red at her inability to make up teases on the spot. He let go of her but placed his arm around her shoulder.

Ann snickered also, jumping up and down as she always did. Her father, Doug, kept an eye on her as she was too near the tables for his liking.

Cliff smiled at her, a little. He had been here for two years and he still wasn't use to his plucky red-haired friend. She was the type of girl who didn't know what overstepping the mark was; hugging every single stranger she passed, pecking newly girlfriends on the cheek and she even kissed Gray on the lips when she fancied him – Mary and Claire, who at the time was the new farmer, didn't like that one bit. Cliff was the guy who would usually run a mile after laying sight on these types of girls yet after the years, well, she became his friend. He still didn't like it when she did something natural to her and yet embarrassing to him but there was no way he was going to change her. Still, he wished she would keep to a little expectancy as he had almost fallen over when she suddenly hugged him.

Claire was also the bouncing girl but she could also be calm and chilled. That what Gray like about her; when he thought she wouldn't understand as she was too busy hopping up and down, she understood immediately. She also supported him a lot with his work, praising him every single time he fixed a tool for her. She wasn't just his friend, she was Cliff's too. She helped him talk to her a little, getting him to relax as she went up to him in the church. Cliff wasn't sure but he had heard that she and Ann were even trying to find him a job. They were all his friends; because they hang around so much people had started calling them the Forever Four. Kai and Popuri hanged around with them in the summer so they were than called the Summer Six. Mary used to hang around with them too as when they first met, Claire and she were best friends but, ever since Claire started going out with Gray, she had distant herself from the group, throwing jealous looks from the background.

"Dad, can you get the Forever Four special?" Ann shouted as she claimed one of the tables and sat down. Doug frowned but even from a distant you could tell he was laughing at his daughter.

Gray and Claire sat down too but Cliff shook his head, "I-I think I'll just go to bed. I'm a little t-tired."

"Are you sure? Your head not hurting is it?" Gray frowned as Cliff usually just sat through it whatever his feelings were.

"What happened?" Ann asked, bouncing back up to Cliff's side. Cliff almost groaned aloud; now Gray's done him in.

"I-I fell down a pitfall and just got a little whack on the head. It's f-fine." Cliff stammered as Ann started fiddling through his hair to find bump.

"Youch, that looks sore. You haven't got concussion have you?" Ann now tugged his arm, not letting him go until she was sure he was fine, "We should take you to the Clinic."

"N-No, we already went to Forget-Me-Not Valley's. It's fine." Cliff stammered again, pulling away a little. Ann let him go but didn't stop watching him worriedly until he was halfway up the stairs. Then she sat back down.

"You noticed anything different about him?" Ann asked, glancing over at the two who were also staring after Cliff. Claire shrugged but Gray frowned.

"Ever since we've came back from the mine, he's acted a little strange. He tripped me up when I went to look into his back pack. I think he's hiding something."

"But what?" Claire asked.

"Grubs up!" Doug called as he placed down their meals and the three tucked in, forgetting about their friend upstairs.

* * *

Cliff sat on his bed, examining the sword again. He wondered if it was true that it could break the impossible boulders. Checking the door, what he done ever since he came in even after he had shut it, he searched for a place to hide it. Eventually, he ended up sticking it to the board of the underneath of his bed. He didn't know why he wasn't at least showing it to his friends; he knew that they wouldn't take it of him. He wasn't even sure why he wanted to keep it, he certainly couldn't use it. Sighing, he lay back down and stared at the ceiling.

Keira floated to his mind. He wondered what she was doing now she was awake. Perhaps she too was staring at the ceiling. Cliff suddenly felt bad for leaving her alone in there. He should've taken her to the top but something stopped him. Maybe it was because she had been down there for so long it was her home? He wasn't sure but he knew that he had almost thought of taking him along with him but the thought had been pushed away by an invisible force.

No, he was being silly, digging into this so deeply. It was like when he woke up with a misplaced dream, he had acted like it was something important. He sighed again and closed his eyes and tried to sleep as he intended.

A thought of getting Keira to meet the Forever Four appeared in his mind but was forgotten as quickly as he thought it.

* * *

**So, how was it? Fantastic? Brillant? Great? Good? Ok? Bad? Rubbish? Review whatever you thought! Please, please, please?**


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